A Shattered Soul
by koli79
Summary: Modern AU. Abused his whole life, Hiccup never thought he could trust anyone. This story is about how that all changed.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Hamish "Hiccup" Haddock had been on his own for a while now. Nearly fifteen, he had experienced much in his short life and none of it could be categorized as good. His parents certainly never won any parenting awards. According to his father, his mother, Valka had been a kind and gentle soul before they had emigrated to the United States from Scotland. Before he had been born. Once he came along though, the light in her eyes faded and she became angry and depressed. She began going out at all hours of the night, anything to get away from being around her baby. When Hiccup was just a year old, Valka ran off with some biker she met at a bar and never returned.

His father, Stoick was at a loss and desperately wanted someone to blame. He loved his wife too much to think ill of her and soon began to look at his own son with contempt. Had this hiccup never been born his wife would still be here. That is how Hamish Haddock became known as Hiccup. His father refused to call him anything else and reminded his son daily how a hiccup is an annoyance, an interruption to every day life and something that people want to rid themselves of. As years went by, Stoick grew more angry and began to drink heavily. At night he would take his rage out on Hiccup and no one took notice of the bruises that littered his body. If anyone did, they certainly never spoke out and no one came to help him.

Just before his fifteenth birthday, Hiccup had enough and finally devised a plan to get away. After stealing some money from his father, Hiccup bought a ticket and got the first bus out of New York City. He knew his best chance of not getting caught and sent back was to get out of state. Connecticut wasn't ideal with its cold winters and humid summers, but it would do. Living on the streets might be tough, but at least he would in charge of his own life and wouldn't have to rely on anyone. Hiccup knew that you couldn't rely on anyone, but yourself and vowed to never make the mistake of letting anyone get close.

This is a story of how that all changed.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you everyone for the reviews already! This is my first multi-chapter fic.**

* * *

"Well this is just fabulous," Hiccup said to himself quietly as he rummaged through his backpack. He knew that he had put his sunglasses in there, now it was just a matter of finding them.

"Aha!" he cried. Sunglasses in hand, Hiccup slipped his backpack behind the dumpster and proceeded to make his way out on to the street. The first rule in pickpocketing was to be as nondescript as possible. That way, even if someone saw you, there wouldn't be much a description for the cops to go on. Given his small stature for boy his age and his slight build, he could easily slip into crowds and deftly grab a couple of wallets with no one being the wiser. Of course, he had slipped up a few times. Back in New York, he got caught red handed picking the pocket of an undercover cop. Not only was it completely embarrassing to pick a cop as mark, he ended up in juvie for a month and then had to go home and face his father.

So now, he was much better at watching people and picking his targets. As he walked down the street and scanned the crowd, Hiccup thought about his new home. Connecticut wasn't necessarily his first choice, but it seemed to be working out. He ended up in the capital, Hartford, which wasn't even 200 miles from his birthplace about four weeks ago. Hiccup quickly found a decent spot to crash that was near a few other groups of street kids, but far enough away that he had his own space and didn't have to fear anyone trying to get too buddy-buddy or steal his stuff. Hiccup knew there was no honor among thieves and what little he had he intended to keep.

"Hey! Give that back!" a small voice cried stirring Hiccup from his thoughts. He looked up and saw a small girl chasing after a boy that couldn't be more than a year or two older than her. Her brother, Hiccup presumed. The boy had a ratty looking teddy bear and was waving it just out of reach of the little girl. "Give it back!" she cried again as they ran past him.

Then the boy did something unexpected, he threw the bear into the street. The girl darted out without a thought to look around her. Hiccup did though and saw a car coming and it looked like the driver was busy texting. Hiccup called out, "Hey! Watch out!", but it seemed to fall on deaf ears. Hiccup then made a rash decision and jumped out into the street, grabbed the girl and tossed her back on to the sidewalk. She landed hard on her hands and knees with a cry.

Hiccup looked up to move about the same time as the driver looked up from her phone, but it was too late and the car slammed into him. Hiccup's knee felt the impact first, then his whole body rolled up on to the hood of the car. The driver slammed on the brakes and then Hiccup flew off on to the street. Just before his head hit the pavement, Hiccup thought that the gods must hate him. He actually tried to help someone and this was the thanks he got. Then everything went black.

People screamed, the little girl cried and Hiccup lay in the street, eyes closed, knee twisted at an odd angle, his head bleeding and by his hand lay the girl's ratty teddy bear.


	3. Chapter 3

**_Sorry about the earlier post... this version seems to be working much better._**

**_Also, I wanted to say thank you to my new beta, xFaerieValkyriex!_**

* * *

_Beep...beep...beep...beep..._

That incessant sound was the first thing Hiccup was aware of as he began to pull himself out of the darkness.

_What is that noise?_ he asks himself, _and why won't it stop?_

As he tried to figure that out in his muddled brain, he slowly became aware of pain; His head ached like he had been on a three day bender, his body felt as though he hadn't tried to move in a month and then, there was his knee. He tried to bend his legs, but something kept is left leg immobilized.

Not only that, just shifting his leg caused a bolt of pain to shoot through his body and with that his eyes shot open.

The room was dimly lit, but the light still bothered his eyes. Squinting, he slowly took in his surroundings. Even though his brain felt like he was wading through molasses, it didn't take long to realize he was in a hospital. _How did that happen?_ he thought.

Then he remembered the little girl and the car.

_Crap! How am I going to get myself out of this one?_ The hospital was just slightly worse than a police station. The wrong word would result in Social Services intervening and sending him back to his father. As Hiccup started to realize the severity of the situation, the on duty nurse walked in.

"Oh, you're finally awake. Let me get the doctor." _Crap! Now what?_

* * *

Reviewing a patient chart at the nurses' station, Dr. Beverly Daniels tried to suppress a yawn. It was almost one in the morning and this particular shift was really kicking her butt._Well, that is what I get for going on a 6 hour hike right before having to pull a double shift at the hospital, _she thought. Sane people didn't do things like that.

"Dr. Daniels?" Beverly looked up, startled out of her stupor. "Yes Alina?"

"Dr. Daniels, the patient in Room 202 is awake."

"Well, it's about time, I was starting to get worried that his concussion was worse than initially thought. Let me grab his chart and I will be right in."

_This should be an interesting conversation._

* * *

As Hiccup waited, he tried to come up with a plan. He couldn't give his real name and age or he would be back with Stoick by the end of the week. _Well, I'll just tell her I'm 18 and my name is..._

"Hi there. My name is Dr. Daniels. You have been unconscious for the last 10 hours, so I want to ask you a couple of questions to ensure everything is working up there" Beverly said as she pointed to Hiccup's head, "Do you know where you are?"

"Yeah, a hospital."

"What city are you in?"

"Hartford."

"Good. Can you tell me your name?"

"John Smith." _Crap! Why did I pick the most obviously fake name in the history of fake names!, _Hiccup asked himself, looking up to the doctor.

"John Smith, huh?" Beverly looked at him skeptically. "Well, Mr. Smith, how old are you?"

"I'm 18. Turned the big ol' one eight back in December."

If Hiccup could have slapped himself, he would have. No one was going to believe this line of bull.

"Well Mr. Smith, I have to tell you that you don't look a day over 14. And you look more like a Hamish to me."

"Huh? Why would you say that?" _Dang it! How does she know?_

"Well, given that you were obviously underage," Hiccup cringed, "we had the police run your fingerprints to help identify you. If you were hoping to remain anonymous, you probably should have avoided trying to pickpocket that cop in New York last year."

"I knew that would come back to bite me in the..." Hiccup stopped short after a stern look from the doctor. "Well, you know..."

"I assume you tried to avoid letting me know your real name since you were also reported missing back in May." Hiccup's head dropped, there was no way he was going to get out of this.

After this short taste of freedom, he was going back and he was sure Stoick would kill him this time.

Beverly looked down at the boy and felt pity for him. She had seen his x-rays and now it was time to have the really difficult conversation.

"Hamish..."

"Hiccup."

"Excuse me?"

"My name is Hiccup. No one's called me Hamish apart from a judge since I was a baby."

"Oh, well that certainly is an interesting nickname." Beverly tried to conceal her surprise, who in the world would call their child Hiccup?

"When you were brought in..." she sighed, but continued "Hiccup, we ran a number of tests to see what damage the car had done. You have a concussion, bruised ribs and your left knee was broken. We did surgery and put in some plates and screws to help it heal. I won't lie; the break is pretty bad and you're going to be minus on that leg for a while. Likely there will be further surgery and we will have to keep an eye out for infection."

Beverly looked to ensure Hiccup was listening. While he wouldn't look her in the eye, he nodded. "Also, after reviewing your x-rays, there was evidence of a number of healed broken bones." Hiccup shrugged. "Hiccup, these types of injuries are consistent with victims of domestic violence. Can you tell me how you were hurt?"

Hiccup looked up at her with fire in his eyes.

"Why?" He spat. "What difference does it make how I got them? It doesn't make a difference! No one is going to do anything about it." Beverly's eyes widened at the strength of the venom in his voice. How could someone continually beat a child while everyone looks the other way?

"Look, call Social Services. They'll call my dad and he'll come get me and you can forget we ever met."

Hiccup tilted his head back and looked at the ceiling, signaling to Beverly that he was done talking.

"Hiccup, I don't know what Social Services is like in New York, but I can tell you this. There is no way I am going to release you to your father's care." Hiccup glanced at her warily, and she continued "Look, there is _no way_ these injuries you sustained were accidental in nature. I have had a number of patients over the years with stories similar to yours. I know how the system works and I know who to call. You don't need to worry about your dad hurting you any more."

With that, Beverly got up and walked out the room. She had some calls to make, first to Janice at Social Services and then to the Ingermans. They had a son just about Hiccup's age and they had always been her go to choice as foster parents for the severely abused children she had seen come through the hospital. With a son Hiccup's age, they would be the perfect family in mind to foster Hiccup.

Back in the room, Hiccup just stared at the door. Could this be _real?_ Was he truly going to be free from his father? Even though Stoick hated him, he would never give him up without a fight. The chance at a happy life was something Stoick would not want him to have.


	4. Chapter 4

**Another update! Sorry for the delay but I had some important things that had to be handled in my personal life.**

* * *

The following morning Hiccup was lying in his hospital bed pondering his next move. With his injuries there was no way he was going to be able to go back out on his own anytime soon and even with the promises the doctor had made, Hiccup was sure if he didn't tread carefully he would end up back in Stoick's clutches.

"Good morning, Hiccup! How are you feeling today?" Hiccup looked to see Doctor Daniels in the doorway, he responded with a half-hearted shrug.

"I take it you are not in a talkative mood?" she asked. No response.

Well, Beverly was accustomed to one-sided conversations and pushed ahead.

"Well, I'll start off talking and you can pitch in if you feel like it." she spoke once more, "Later today, Janice Sanchez is going to be coming in to see you and talk to you about what is going to happen once we release you from the hospital later this week."

Hiccup's gaze dropped down to study his hands. He really did not want to end up in a foster home or even worse, a juvenile detention center.

"I am going to take a moment to look at your leg, are you experiencing any pain?"

Hiccup was stirred from his thoughts and quietly responded, "Not really."

"Ah, he does speak!" Dr. Daniels gently chided.

She pulled back the sheet and checked the bandage and the tube running from them. Everything looked clear and no adverse signs at present.

"I am happy to inform you that your leg is looking good! No signs of infection. If things progress at this rate, we can release you later this week. That is provided you pass the PPFB test."

"The what?" Hiccup looked up, confusion clearly shown in his face.

"The PPFB test, you have to be able to go to the bathroom and other regular functions before you can go." Dr. Daniels smiled at the boys reaction.

She explained more, "Because of the anesthetic, we just need to ensure everything is functioning properly. If you can do all the things I listed, then everything is working properly."

Hiccup blushed. He couldn't believe he was going to have to explain about his private bathroom moments to get out of here.

As if reading his mind, Dr. Daniels stated, "No worries, you need help to get to and from the bathroom anyway so we'll know when things are back on track. And we can get one of the male orderlies to assist you if that would make you more comfortable." Hiccup nodded and winced slightly. "Still feeling the affects of the concussion, huh? Well, let me increase your pain meds a bit to help with that."

Hiccup sighed, he really didn't want anything that was going to make him feel foggy, but his head was really starting to kill him.

As the doctor injected something into his IV, he felt his eyes get heavy.

"Remember, Janice will be in a bit later. Get some rest and be sure to eat lunch, you are underweight for your frame."

Beverly left the room as Hiccup started to drop off to sleep. She couldn't help but worry about this boy. He was a survivor, but he was so closed off to the staff.

Would he ever learn that not all people were horrible? There was the little girl, though. He put himself in harms way to save her. He must see some good in humanity. Beverly sighed and then when about her other daily rounds.

* * *

"Hello? Hamish...er, _Hiccup?_" A soft voice stirred Hiccup from sleep. He looked up and saw a small Hispanic woman standing at his room doorway.

"Hi there, Doctor Daniels may have mentioned that I was stopping by later?" she continued, "My name is Janice Sanchez, I'm with Social Services,"

Hiccup simply nodded and then laid back to look up at the ceiling, seemingly resigned to the fact that he had to have this conversation. Beverly had warned Janice that he wasn't much of a chatterbox and that it might take some extra effort to get him to open up.

Sadly, this was not a new experience for Janice. Over the last fifteen years, the number of children that came from situations similar to Hiccup's were too numerous to even count. Seeing that Hiccup wasn't going to invite her in, she simply went to the chair next to the hospital bed.

"Do you know why I'm here?" she asked, a slight nod was the simple response. "Okay then, after reviewing Doctor Daniels' report it appears that you have been routinely abused for a long time. Can you tell me your side of the story?"

Hiccup sighed, he really didn't want to get into this, but if it meant that he might be able to stave off being sent back to New York until he was at least recovered, it would be worth it.

"You could simply go with my dad isn't my biggest fan." Hiccup replied quietly.

"What about your mother?"A sarcastic wit, a defense mechanism for certain, but a sign he wasn't completely defeated either.

"She left when I was a baby. My dad blamed me; hence, why he doesn't really like me."

"Doctor Daniels informed me that you prefer to go by Hiccup, why is that?" Janice was genuinely curious about this particular answer.

"Like I said, my dad blamed me for my mother leaving. Before me, " he sighed but continued, "their life was ideal and me coming along was a hiccup in their world. A hiccup that ruined everything." Hiccup glanced at Janice and then to the wall. "He's called me that ever since, and threatened anyone who tried to call me anything else. I'm not fit for a proper Scottish name."

Janice sat bewildered for a moment. While not defeated, it was obvious he believed every word he had just spoken. This boy believed his presence in the world was a mistake. Her heart ached for him. "Thank you for that information Hiccup. And for the record, you are more than someone's perceived mistake." Janice said. Hiccup did not respond, but she hadn't expected a simple reassurance would undo fourteen years of abuse.

"Well, given the evidence in your medical report and our interview now, I am putting a recommendation that you're not be placed back with your father. There will be a trial, but given the time it will take to notify your father as well as setting up a meeting with the judge, you are looking at about a 3-4 month wait before anything will be full finalized as tar as custody. " Janice glanced at Hiccup to ensure he processed all of that information.

He wasn't looking at her, but he did nod. She continued. "You will be staying with the Ingerman family. They run an animal sanctuary at the edge of town and have a son your age. They're a really nice family and I think you will enjoy the peace and quiet at their place."

Hiccup inwardly groaned.

Great, the family didn't even live near town. Once he was mobile again, he had hoped to leave in the middle of the night. Less chance someone would see him and easier to disappear. Now he was going to have to come up with an alternative plan.


	5. Chapter 5

"Are you ready to go?" Doctor Daniels asked as she walked into Hiccup's room.

Hiccup looked away from the window, pulled out of his trance from watching the rain hitting the glass. He shrugged and replied, "Ready as I'll ever be."

After four days in the hospital, even Hiccup had to admit he was ready for a change of scenery, though he wasn't totally sure what he was getting himself into. _What if the Ingermans were super nosy and wanted him to share his life story in the first five minutes of his arrival, _Hiccup thought. _Or worse, what if they are huggers. I hate huggers, they have no idea what personal space means_.

"I am going to have Alina here," she gestured to the nurse with a wheelchair, "assist you in getting downstairs. From there Janice will be taking you to the Ingermans. Now, you need to use the wheelchair to get around for the next week to give your ribs time to heal."

Hiccup just rolled his eyes. It was bad enough he couldn't use one of his legs, but now he couldn't even use crutches. Beverly noticed his response and said, "Hey, you have a follow up appointment at the end of next week with me. If things look good, we will get you crutches, but trust me, your ribs are going to thank me for holding off on them for now."

With that, she left the room and Alina assisted Hiccup with getting off the bed and into the wheelchair.

Though he wouldn't outright admit it, just lifting himself up made his ribs hurt, so she was probably right that crutches were a bad idea.

"Okay Hiccup, let's take a trip to the lobby!" Alina said.

It was a quiet ride and Hiccup was glad that Alina did not feel a need to fill every moment with nonsensical small talk. In the lobby Janice was waiting and gave a small wave to him as he exited the elevator.

"Hi Hiccup. You are looking good today." she smiled at him warmly, "It looks like it might be a bit of a longer ride than anticipated with the rain. Do you need anything before we hit the road?" _Yeah, two good legs and bus ticket out of town_, Hiccup thought, but opted to respond with a simple and mumbled, "No."

"Alright, well let's just hit the road then."

"Mom! Miss Sanchez is pulling up the drive!" called out Francis Ingerson.

He was a large lad to say the least. At fifteen he was tall for his age and his mother would describe him, husky. Other kids at school might have a few more colorful options to describe him, but he was a key member of the Hooligan High rugby team and that was not a group to cross.

"Make sure the dogs are kenneled than, Fishy!" his mother hollered back from somewhere in the house. "The boy might be on crutches and the last thing he needs is to be bowled over by them."

_Fishy_ was his mother's take on a nickname Francis had gotten as a young child. He loved animals and thought it was unfair how fish only had fins and couldn't walk on land. He felt so passionate about it that he made a presentation to his entire first grade class about how the government should do research to help fish get legs. From that moment on, everyone called him Fishlegs. He didn't mind though, he still thought fish should have legs.

"Yes, ma'am." he replied and walked out to gather the dogs.

There were four living with them right now. His favorite was an old bulldog he had called Meatlug. It was on odd name for sure, but Meatlug _was_ an odd dog. She only had one eye and had a tendency to walk into walls, but she was lovable and about the sweetest dog on the planet.

"Hiya Meatlug! How's my baby?" cooed Fishlegs, Meatlug hopped up and down and gave a heartfelt bark. "Come on, you need to go back to your kennel until we get the new kid situated. You know the drill."

Indeed she did. Between animals coming into the sanctuary and kids coming into the house, there was always someone new that needed to get use to the chaos of Ingerman household. After everyone was secured, Fishlegs went out to greet the new houseguest.

"Hello Francis! How are you doing?" asked Janice.

"I'm good Miss Sanchez. How are you?" Fishlegs replied respectfully.

"Oh, I can't complain. Would you mind grabbing the wheelchair from my trunk and then we can get Hiccup out."

_Hiccup? _thought Fishlegs. _Guess I'm not the only one with a weird nickname. Wonder if he is one of those people that has had a case of the hiccups for ten years or something. That would be so cool!_

"Sure thing Miss Sanchez." Fishlegs peered into the car while he walked around to the trunk to try and get a glimpse of the kid. _Did he have the hiccups now?_ he thought.

Upon retrieving the wheelchair, Fishlegs watched Janice open up the door and assist the kid into it. _Boy this kid is small and skinny! Like way too skinny!_

"Hey how'd you hurt your leg anyway?" Fishlegs blurted out. _Oops, so much for decorum!_

"I stepped in front of a moving car." was the deadpan response. _Great, they're the nosy type..._

"Oh. You know you should have looked both ways before crossing the street, right?" Fishlegs asked innocently.

"I do now."

_What an idiot! _Hiccup was certain that this guy was going to end up driving him insane before the day was over.

"Well, hello there!" a voice called out from the house.

Mrs. Louise Ingerman emerged and walked over to the group. She was a tall, lean woman with a warm and welcoming smile.

"You must be Hiccup. Welcome to our home." Hiccup simply nodded and replied with a quiet, "Thanks."

"Let's get you inside, the rain has stopped for the moment, but I'm sure it will start up again soon." Mrs. Ingerman gestured towards the house and the group made their way in.

The house was a single story ranch, which Hiccup figured would at least make his life easier for the time being.

Inside it was a menagerie of styles. Even eclectics would think this was overkill. Victorian, modern, French, Asian and more graced the floors and walls of every room.

"As you can tell, we like a variety of furniture and decorations. I always imagined I would have a house decorated like one of those magazines, but then I just couldn't decide which style to go with and ended up with this." as she gestured around her. "My husband, George and Fishy here don't mind it."

Hiccup's eyebrows shot up. _Fishy? There has to be a story behind that._

Janet spoke up, "Francis, would you mind showing Hiccup to his room while I go over some paperwork with your mom?"

"Sure thing Miss Sanchez! Come on Hiccup, your room is next to mine." Fishlegs grabbed his wheelchair and pushed it down the hall.

After they were gone, Mrs. Ingerman turned to Janice, "So what are we in for?"

"Well, given the medical reports and what Hiccup has shared, he has been abused by his father since he was a year old. With the exception of an arrest for pick pocketing, there were no early reports of issues. He is definitely reserved, but resourceful. He was out on his own for several weeks and probably would have stayed under the radar if he hadn't saved a child from getting hit by a car."

"Any reports of nightmares at the hospital?" Mrs. Ingerman asked.

"None. He does have a number of appointments with Doctor Daniels over the next several weeks to check on his leg. There is significant concern about infection, so you are going to need your nursing skills for this one." Janice replied with ease.

"Well, we have a few weeks until school starts, so we have time to get him settled in and comfortable. If he is interested, I'll have him assist Fishy with the animals. I think that would be really therapeutic for him." Mrs. Ingerman had watched a number of kids over the years come out of their shells and learn to trust again by working with abused animals.

"I think that would be great Louise." Janice grinned, "I'll let you take over from here and I will be in touch later next week. Call me if you need me."

"Will do."

Mrs. Ingerman walked Janice out and then turned back into the house. It was time to get get to know her guest.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Sorry for the delayed post, but work has been incredibly demanding of late and this was my first weekend to sit down and write in a month.**_

* * *

"So this is your room right here on the left." Fishlegs began as he steered Hiccup down a long hallway.

"Watch where you're going!" Hiccup cried as the large teen narrowly missed pushing his leg into the bedroom doorway. "Oh! Sorry dude! So what kind of name is Hiccup anyway?" Fishlegs asked curiously, clearly too excited.

"What kind of a name is Fishy?" Hiccup replied sarcastically.

"Touche! My legal name is Francis, but people have been calling me Fishlegs since I was six." Leaning in, the boy continued in a quieter tone, "If you're lucky, one day I can give you the whole story and then you can tell me yours."

Hiccup looked at Fishlegs incredulously. Not only did this guy's nickname get even weirder, but he was strangely proud of it too! Hiccup was firm about people using the name imposed on him by his father, but it wasn't because he thought it was cool.

"I noticed you don't have a bag with you. Where is all your stuff?" asked Fishlegs.

Hiccup shrugged, "Probably long gone by now. I had it hidden, but I'm sure someone found it by now."

"Well, tomorrow my mom can take you to get some stuff. Then, if you want, I can give you a tour of the property! Most of it has sidewalks so there won't be an issue with the chair." Fishlegs then asked, "How long do you have to be in this thing?"

Hiccup sighed, he was getting a bit tired of the seemingly bottomless pit of questions.

"A week or so. Look do you mind if I lay down for a bit?" _Please say okay, I really don't want to keep talking to you_, he begged mentally.

"Sure!" Fishlegs moved quickly to give him some space, "Dinner will be done in about 30 minutes, so I'll come back then, okay?"

Hiccup nodded and watched Fishlegs leave before he took some time to take in the bedroom room.

There wasn't anything particularly special about it. Twin bed on one side, dresser on the other and a simple closet. There was a window that looked out to the back of the property. Looking out, Hiccup could see a barn; what he presumed was a dog run, and a large fenced in area that had a couple of cows settled in it.

Hiccup was not accustomed to seeing farm animals. Living in the city, there were stray dogs, cats and, of course; the city's unofficial animal, the rat.

If Fishlegs could stop playing 20 Questions with him, he wouldn't be too bad. He seemed friendly enough and despite his size, was almost meek. If Hiccup had his size, he would have been able to probably fight back and, who knows, even beat up Stoick?

* * *

Thirty minutes later, right on time, Fishlegs head popped into the bedroom doorway.

"Hey there! Dinner is ready. My mom's an awesome cook."

"It sure looks like she is," replied Hiccup snidely. He instantly regretted it though as Fishlegs gave a small, hurt expression. After being bullied his whole life, he did not want to be like his father. He coughed before fixing his rude remark. "Sorry, it's been a long day and my manners are a bit lacking."

Hiccup looked suitably apologetic and Fishlegs seemed to recover as though nothing offensive was even said.

"Do you need help getting to the dining room?"

"No, I've got it."

The pair made it down the hallway and into the dining room.

At the table, Mrs. Ingerman was busy setting up.

There was roast beef, mashed potatoes, salad and dinner buns. Hiccup's stomach growled as the aroma of the food reached his nostrils. The hospital food was not that great and he couldn't recall when he had a meal like this.

"Well good evening everyone!" Hiccup looked up as a tall, stout gentleman entered the room.

Obviously, Fishlegs took after his dad.

"Hi there, I'm George Ingerman. Welcome to our house!" Mr. Ingerman offered out a hand as he greeted Hiccup.

Seeing the hand come at him, Hiccup visibly flinched, but recovered quickly and shook the outstretched hand. His reaction did not go unnoticed by those around him, but they acted as though nothing had happened. Hiccup was grateful for that.

"Nice to meet you, sir." Then Hiccup turned to Mrs. Ingerman and said, "The food looks really good."

"Thank you, lad. Don't be shy, go ahead and dish yourself up!"

Mrs. Ingerman started passing plates of food around the table, and as everyone filled their plates (some more than others), the Ingermans started discussing business.

"Dad, now that we were able to get the three pit bulls adopted out this weekend, have you put out the word that there is room in the dog pen to the animal shelters?" asked Fishlegs.

Mr. Ingerman smiled, his son was so on top of things. One day he would be continuing on the work he and his wife started and Francis was more than capable.

"Yes, Francis, I did and it looks like we will have a new addition tomorrow." he replied.

Fishlegs eyes lit up.

"What breed?" he asked excitedly.

"Looks like a 2 year old male Cane Corso. From my conversation with the shelter, he was neglected and chained outside most of the time. Owners barely fed him and when he finally broke loose, he got hit by a car."

Mr. Ingerman glanced over at Hiccup as he recounted the facts. Hiccup had paled a bit and was very focused on his plate though not much food was making it to his mouth. This dog's story probably sounded very close to his own. Fishlegs however, noticed none of this and pressed on.

"How bad are the injuries? You know Cane Corsos were bred out of Italy. They are part of the working class group."

"Son, I don't need to know those types of things because I know you know all of it. If I ever end up on a game show and the category is dog breed trivia. You would be my lifeline." Mr. Ingerman replied.

The Ingermans shared a hearty chuckle, but Fishlegs didn't let his question slide by.

"How bad are the injuries, though?"

"Well according to the vet, the back left leg was too mangled and had to be amputated. Another thing, the dog's jaw was damaged and his teeth were too broken. They had to be pulled." Mr Ingerman explained to his son.

"He's toothless?" This quiet question made the Ingermans look up at their new guest, surprised to say the least.

"Yes, Hiccup. Many of the animals that come here are not in good shape. Our role is to help rehabilitate them and find new homes for them." explained Mrs. Ingerman.

"Except Meatlug. Her home is right here!" Fishlegs added in.

"Yes Fishy, Meatlug is your dog." Mrs. Ingerman patted Fishlegs on the arm and looked over to Hiccup, "Meatlug is a bulldog that came to us a few years ago and she and Fishy just hit it off. I couldn't separate those two if I tried."

"Why would you even keep a dog like that alive?" Hiccup asked. "Isn't it more humane to just put it down?"

He couldn't believe that there was anything these people could do that could make a toothless, three-legged dog appealing to anyone.

"Just because an animal is scarred or maimed does not mean it is incapable of giving and receiving love. You have to see behind the physical appearance and the story to see the beauty of the soul." Mrs. Ingerman replied. Hiccup shrugged. If were up to him, he would be merciful and kill the beast. Not force it to linger in pain and fear.

"Oh Hiccup, you should be on crutches next week right?" asked Fishlegs, changing the subject suddenly. "That's the plan."

"Great, you can come out to my rugby practice and meet some of the guys. That way when school starts in a few weeks, you will know a few people." Fishlegs was excited to have Hiccup meet his friends. Plus if Hiccup got along well with them, there was a good chance that his buddy's twin sister would finally let him come to her roller derby match.

"Sure." was a simple reply, as he wasn't sure what else to say.

He didn't really feel like meeting this guy's friends and rugby was not his cup of tea, but it would be good to start to get the lay of the land. He might be here for a few months until he could walk without aid, but no time like the present to start making plans for his escape.


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry for the delay, these next few chapters are a bit harder for me to write and life in general is just crazy. This is a short chapter, but more is coming I promise!**

The next morning, Hiccup awoke to the sound of a truck backing up into the front yard.

He groggily looked at the clock next to his bed. _What the heck! 10 A.M?_

Hiccup was never one to sleep in before. Logically, he understood his body was healing and so sleeping more was normal, but it was still difficult to accept.

"Alright Chuck, hold it right there!" a voice called out.

Hiccup soon realized it belonged to Mr. Ingerman. Hiccup slowly sat up, hugging his sore ribs as he did. The trick was to take a deep breath, let it out and then try to sit up. After a few tense moments of sitting at the edge of the bed, he transferred himself over to the wheelchair. He could handle the ribs or the leg, but both were definitely a pain.

"Francis is the dog pen ready?" Mr. Ingerman asked.

"Yeah dad. Do you want me to take lead on this one?" was the reply.

"No, the dog may not be able to actually bite anyone; but he is too skittish and unpredictable right now. Let me and Chuck handle it. You just be ready with the gate to let us in and out, okay?" There was a warm tone in which Mr. Ingerman spoke to his son.

Hiccup had _never_ heard his own father speak that way.

"You got it!" Fishlegs responded.

Hiccup made his way out of the room and out to the front porch to get a better view of what was going on.

There was a large white truck in front and a guy, presumably Chuck, working with Mr. Ingerman to move a kennel from the back of it up to the edge. Inside said kennel, Hiccup could hear a low growling sound. This must be the dog Mr. Ingerman was talking about last night. The two men worked to move the kennel to the ground and then align it with the gate.

"Now Francis!" and with that the gate opened just as Mr. Ingerman opened the kennel door.

Out barreled a huge black dog.

It tripped and fell trying to get out and scurried quickly to the back of the dog run, all the while growling at anything that looked at him.

Fishlegs shut the gate and slowly backed away from the dog run. He spoke quietly and soothingly to the dog, but his soothing words were falling on deaf ears. Even while cowering, Hiccup could tell it was a large dog and he obviously was not accustomed to getting around on three legs. He noticed bemusedly, that both he and the dog were messed up on the same side.

_Kinda like twins_, he thought and he chuckled to himself quietly.

At that moment, everyone seemed to take notice of him.

"Oh morning Hiccup! Did you see, the Cane Corso came in this morning!" Fishlegs excitedly spoke up.

"Yeah. He doesn't look to pleased to be here." he replied flatly.

"Well…true, but that will change once he knows we aren't going to hurt him." Fishlegs explained, "All the animals that come here are afraid at first, but after sometime passes they come to realize that I am their friend and I want to help them."

"Francis does have a way with animals. Though he tends to spoil them a bit." Mr. Ingerman spoke up and jokingly elbowed Fishlegs in the side.

"Hey! If anyone deserves it, it's these guys! They had a rough life and pampering is good for them." Fishlegs defended, crossing his arms over his large chest.

"True, but they still need to be housebroken if they are to be adopted. Just remember that the goal is to get them a new permanent home." Mr. Ingerman spoke and looked directly at his son. Obviously, this was a conversation they had frequently. Then Mr. Ingerman turned his attention back over to Hiccup.

"Hiccup, please do not go near the dog run for the time being. Until we start to gain the dog's trust, he is bound to act unpredictably and I don't want him to injure you or himself. Okay?"

Hiccup nodded.

He wasn't that interested in the dog anyway.

He was still on the side of the dog should be put down. Now that he saw it, he was even more sure. No way anyone was going to want that thing. He was skin and bones, missing a leg and all his teeth and growled at everything.

Yeah, this dog was hopeless...

"Come on Hiccup, let's go inside and I'll get us breakfast!" Fishlegs grabbed Hiccup's wheelchair and spun him around. Once again narrowly missing smashing Hiccup's leg into the wall. "Watch it!" Hiccup cried out, but Fishlegs proceeded on into the house oblivious of his poor driving skills.


	8. Chapter 8

**Thanks for all the reviews! And a special thanks to my Beta, xFaerieValkyriex for reviewing all of my work. **

It had been several days since both Hiccup and the dog had arrived and life was starting to fall into a routine.

This was something new for Hiccup.

_Normal _for him had consisted of trying to dodge his father, look for an easy mark to pickpocket in order to get money for food and generally remain unseen. He never knew what the next moment might bring and he had to always be on alert for possible danger because there were real dangers out there.

His father's fists, the gang at the juvenile detention center and the police were just the tip of the iceberg.

Even before he had runaway, there were many nights he just didn't go home.

Mostly on days were Stoick was in an especially bad mood (he was always in a bad mood if Hiccup was around) and the chances of him doing permanent damage were high.

While he may have escaped potential injury at home, the streets were not exactly a picnic in the park. Homeless people can be incredibly territorial and become violent if they felt someone was trying to take their space.

Plus there were gangs and rats.

Hiccup really hated rats. They were everywhere and were accustomed to people so it wasn't like they would just scurry away when you approached.

The Ingerman household was the complete opposite of everything Hiccup knew.

They genuinely enjoyed being around each other. At any given time Mrs. Ingerman could be heard humming as she cleaned the house and cooked. She wasn't just a stay at home mom, though. She was the driving force behind finding benefactors for the animal sanctuary and was often on the phone talking to potential donors. Once she made contact without someone a meeting would be set up and that was where Mr. Ingerman came in. He went out and met with these people and showed them the sanctuary's financials; how much money was coming in and how it was spent.

Then he would arrange for them to come out and tour the grounds to see things in action.

They even had a website (made by Fishlegs) that showed every animal that had been taken in.

It gave their stories of why they were brought to the sanctuary; how the Ingermans helped them and then how the animals got a new home. On top of this, the whole family worked with the animals.

At 6:00 A.M, food bowls were prepped and distributed.

By 7:00 A.M, Fishlegs had cleaned all the kennels and stables.

Then there was a running schedule of working with the various animals. Some were focused on medical treatments and others to deal with behavioral issues.

Hiccup guessed the three legged dog would need a lot of both.

He had taken to watching the dog from a distance these last few days. Hiccup couldn't explain it, but he was drawn to the animal for some reason. The dog would watch him as well. Sometimes they had staring contests. Both warily watching the other, trying to size each other up and determine if the other was a threat.

Hiccup chuckled a bit to himself on that last thought. He was hardly a threat in this wheelchair. At least his appointment with Doctor Daniels next week should be the last time he had to be in it. Plus without crutches, which Doctor Daniels purposely didn't give him, he couldn't exactly just abandon the wheelchair.

So here he was, stuck in stupid chair and watching a dog. Not how he expected to spend his fifteenth birthday, but he supposed it could have been worse.

A few more years and he wouldn't have to keep worrying about Social Services getting involved in his life. He could finally be truly independent. That was all he really wanted. To be out on his own, not having to depend on anyone or anything. But that was a few years away, so Hiccup tried to push those thoughts out of his mind.

It was useless to dwell on it.

He refocused his gaze on the dog and noticed it had moved. The dog had always been at the back of the kennel and gave a low growl to anyone that approached. Now he was about halfway to the front. Hiccup realized the dog was probably hungry and wanted to get to his food bowl.

The problem was the dog wouldn't eat if anyone was near the kennel and while Hiccup wasn't particularly close, the dog felt threatened. The dog continued to slowly inch up towards the front, never taking his eyes off of Hiccup. Due to his weakened state and lack of a leg, the dog would lean against the side of the kennel to help support his weight and maintain his precarious balance.

Suddenly, Hiccup sneezed.

The dog's head jerked up and began to growl loudly, baring his gums and started to retreat.

Hiccup felt bad, he could tell the dog was hungry and now it probably wouldn't even eat today. As the dog made his way to the back of the kennel having given up on his quest, Hiccup had an idea. He slowly rolled over to the kennel and reached through the fence into the dog's bowl.

The Cane Corso was starting to make short, rough barks in between growls, thinking Hiccup was going to take his food. Then Hiccup picked up a few morsels and gently tossed them to the back of the kennel, right in front of the dog.

It stared at Hiccup and then glanced at the food. Slowly, he lowered his head and quickly ate the food.

Hiccup threw a bit more and the dog ate that as well.

Now it eagerly looked up to Hiccup to see if more food would be forthcoming. Hiccup smiled a little. He tossed some more.

"Well, buddy I guess you aren't as mean as you act, huh?" he asked. "What are we going to call you? It and dog don't seem right. How about Toothless? Yeah, I think Toothless is an apt name for you."

Toothless just gave a small chuff as if to say he wanted more food.

Hiccup obliged and the dog ate and began to wag his tail. When the food was gone, Hiccup started to move away. Toothless went on alert and began to growl again.

"Hey, buddy, I'm not going to do anything to you, but the food is gone. I'll see if I can get you some more. Okay Toothless?" The dog growled in return.

_Trust isn't built in a day_, thought Hiccup. _Heck, not even sure I want that dog to trust me._


	9. Chapter 9

"Hi there Hiccup. You look like you are on the mend." greeted Janice Sanchez as Hiccup rolled down the hall.

It was finally time for his appointment with Doctor Daniels and Ms. Sanchez was here to take him to it.

Hiccup shrugged in response to her comment, but did greet her with a short, "Hello."

_Still not the talkative type_, noted Janice.

"Well, if you are ready, I can get you over to your appointment. Hopefully we will get to ditch that wheelchair while we are there." With that, Hiccup gave a rare smile and replied, "I sure hope so. Being in this thing is a pain in the…."

Hiccup trailed off at the end as he realized what he was about to say and to whom.

Janice smiled. "Nice catch."

Once Hiccup was finally situated in the car, he let his mind drift a bit.

Over the last week, he had started to get to know Toothless a bit better.

The Ingermans were not having much luck getting the dog to respond positively to them. Hiccup, on the other hand, was able to now approach the kennel without Toothless growling at him. The dog knew that if Hiccup was there, that meant food and Toothless loved food. After just a week, the black dog had noticeably put on weight.

Hiccup had a feeling that Toothless was going to resent the day he stopped getting double portions.

Toothless still stayed at the back of his kennel, but his tail would wag when Hiccup arrived. It gave Hiccup a small sense of pride that the dog liked him. "Okay, we're here!" Ms. Sanchez's voice stirred Hiccup from his thoughts.

Between the two of them, they managed to get Hiccup out of her car and into the wheelchair. A small trip through the hospital and they made their way to Doctor Daniel's office.

"Hi Janice, its great to see you!" said Doctor Daniels, "And you as well Mr. Haddock! You look better than when you left here." It was the truth, too. While still awfully small and stick thin, Hiccup had to have put on at least seven to ten much needed pounds. His coloring was better, too.

"Hey Doc. So can I get crutches today?" was Hiccup's response.

_Nothing like cutting through the pleasantries,_ thought Doctor Daniels. Both ladies warmly chuckled.

"Let's get you on the examining table and see. How are your ribs feeling?"

"Great" was the all too quick reply.

"Hiccup, I know you want out of the wheelchair, but I need you to be honest okay. If you just give the "right" answers and not the real answers, you're going to end up back here. Do you understand?" Doctor Daniels looked at him sternly.

Hiccup blushed a bit.

He was still an awful liar.

"Yes ma'am."

"So, how are your ribs feeling?" Doctor Daniels asked again.

"Not too bad. A bit tender at times, but it's easier to get in and out of the chair now."

"Okay, that's good." Doctor Daniels smiled at him reassuringly.

"Do you feel any sharp pains when I press here?"

"Not sharp. Just a bit of a dull pain if that makes sense."

"Yes that does. Okay, lets take a look at your leg." Doctor Daniels began to unwrap the bandages of Hiccup's leg and examined the stitches. "Hmm, no significant swelling or signs of infection. Has Mrs. Ingerman been helping you with changing the bandages?" Hiccup nodded in response, "Okay then, I am going to go ahead and wrap this up a bit and give you a leg brace. You're going to need that with your crutches." Doctor Daniels said with a smile.

Hiccup returned the smile. _He has such a beautiful smile,_ Doctor Daniels thought. _I wish he would smile more often._

* * *

When Janice and Hiccup returned to the Ingermans' home, Fishlegs was waiting for them. As Hiccup got out of the car with the crutches, Fishlegs broke out into a huge grin.

"Alright! You got the crutches! That is so awesome. Now you can come to my practice this afternoon!" Fishlegs let out a whoop and started doing a little dance. Hiccup couldn't help himself and started to laugh. That kid looked so ridiculous, but his enthusiasm was contagious.

"Yeah, the Doc finally released me from that dang wheelchair." replied Hiccup.

"Hiccup, I am going to step in for a moment and talk to Mrs. Ingerman. If I don't see you before I go, have a great day. You and I will have a meeting in another week to help get you registered for school okay?" Ms. Sanchez interjected. "Sure." was the only reply she received.

"So, at practice you can meet the guys. Do you know anything about rugby?" Fishlegs carried on as though Janice had never spoken. Hiccup shook his head.

He didn't have a clue if rugby was a sport that used a ball or not.

"Okay, let me give you the run down then. There are fifteen players on each team. Each team is broken up into two groups, the Forwards and the Backs. The Forwards take most of the physical abuse on the team. I play as part of the Forwards." Fishlegs stated proudly. "I'm one of the Props because I'm the biggest guy on the team. In addition to two Props, there's a Hooker, two Second Rows…"

"_A hooker?!"_ Hiccup interrupted.

"Yeah a Hooker." Fishlegs looked at Hiccup confusingly and then it dawned on him.

"Not a _hooker_ like prostitute, a Hooker is a position on the team that tries to get the ball in a scrum. Steve's our hooker."

"What is a scrum?"

Hiccup's head was starting to hurt.

This game sounded complicated.

"You know, it might be easier for you to watch a practice and then explain the game to you." Fishlegs suggested.

"Yeah, I think you're right." Hiccup agreed gratefully.

He really didn't want to learn the entire history of rugby right now.

"Also, when I introduce you to the guys, we all have nicknames and they are all a bit different. I think the original intention was to have names that scared people, but we ended up giving each other names that we thought were pretty funny. Well, I already had a nickname so they didn't come up with mine, but anyway…just thought you should know." Fishlegs looked a bit sheepish in admitting that to Hiccup.

In response Hiccup just shrugged.

_How much worse could these guys' names be? I mean this kid goes by Fishlegs!_

"Come on, let's go in the house." Fishlegs announced suddenly.

"Okay." Hiccup replied cautiously by the sudden announcement.

As they walked in, Mr. and Mrs. Ingerman and Ms. Sanchez were in the dining room.

"Happy Birthday!" they cried and broke out into the birthday song.

Hiccup was taken aback. This was something he was not expecting and he wasn't sure how to respond to it.

There before him was a cake complete with candles and a few small gifts. No one had ever given him a cake, much less a present before. Mrs. Ingerman seemed to notice that Hiccup was at a loss and stepped forward.

"Here come have a seat and blow out the candles. We couldn't let your fifteenth birthday pass without being noticed." Hiccup numbly sat down as he was told.

_Why would they go to all of this trouble? I'm no one to them._

Fishlegs spoke up, "After you blow out the candles, open my gift first!" Hiccup looked at him, speechless.

Fishlegs had bought him a gift?

Hiccup hardly gave the kid the time of day.

He then turned his attention to the cake. It had fifteen candles on it and even had "Happy Birthday Hiccup!" written in green frosting. This wasn't a last minute deal. They had really planned this. Hiccup was a bit overwhelmed in the moment. He felt like he needed to get out of there, but wasn't sure how to accomplish that without losing it at the same time. So he sat there looking dumbly at the candles burning.

He felt a hand on his shoulder.

Mr. Ingerman bent down and spoke lowly, "You don't have to blow out the candles if you don't want. I realize this probably wasn't a common thing for you." Hiccup shook his head no."We just want you to know that it will be common now and that we are excited to have you in our household and this is a small expression of that."

Hiccup nodded and then slowly took in a breath and proceeded to blow out the candles. It took a couple of tries, but when he was done everyone clapped and then tension he was feeling in his chest started to alleviate.

Mrs. Ingerman started to cut up the cake and Fishlegs handed Hiccup his present.

It wasn't very large and the wrapping was obviously done by Fishlegs himself. Hiccup opened it and found a book.

Fishlegs explained, "I've seen you play around with building things out of toothpicks and paperclips and thought you might like a book about structures. Its an engineering thing and you seem like you would be really good at that type of thing."

_He watched me build that stuff? He really thought about this gift? How could he tell that I actually enjoy it?_

"Thanks. I do like to build stuff." he replied softly.

The next gift was a small envelope. Mr. and Mrs. Ingerman gave him a $50 gift card to a local store.

"We thought you might like to buy some things for yourself when we go clothes shopping next week. We have the clothes taken care of, but if there is a movie or game or anything really that you want, now you have some money to get it." Mrs. Ingerman smiled warmly at Hiccup.

"Thank you. This is really nice of you." Hiccup was baffled at the kindness these virtual strangers were extending to him. "One more gift and then cake." Ms. Sanchez spoke up and handed him a small box. As he opened it, he found a pair of oblong, furry-like objects. Looking at his confused expression, Ms. Sanchez explained, "They are for your crutches. Trust me your arms are going to thank you for extra cushioning."

"Oh, cool. Thank you."

This was the most unexpected day ever and it wasn't over yet.

Hiccup still had a rugby practice to experience.


	10. Chapter 10

**Sorry it has been so long. Once again work and life have been crazy and trying to find time to write has been difficult. **

"Alright Fishy, I'll be back in two hours to pick you boys up. Make sure to introduce Hiccup to your friends and get him a good place to sit down." Mrs. Ingerman instructed as she pulled into the school parking lot.

"Yes mom." replied Fishlegs.

"Practice hard sweetie! Have fun Hiccup!" then she lowered her voice as she looked down at Hiccup. "Fishy's friends are a bit dim, but good-natured kids."

Hiccup wasn't sure how to respond to that but nodded and proceeded to make his way out of the car. _I guess this is going to be an interesting encounter, _he thought.

He never thought he would be so happy to have crutches, but after a week in that dang wheelchair this felt like heaven! He plodded after Fishlegs as they made their way to the field. There were a little over a dozen guys on the field and rather large man. Hiccup assumed he was the coach, but one thing about this guy that definitely caught his attention were the number of limbs the man had.

Most people had four. Two arms, two legs.

This guy had two.

_What the heck happened to that guy?_

As if somehow hearing Hiccup's thoughts, Fishlegs spoke up. "That's James Gobber, my coach. He lost his arm and leg in the war, but don't ask about it. Every time he tells it the story gets bigger. Talk about a _fish tale_!"

The last comment made Hiccup divert his attention to Fishlegs. "A _fish tale_? Really _Fishlegs_?"

Fishlegs just grinned. "Hey who would know better than me, right? Come on, I'll introduce you to the guys."

Hiccup took a deep breath and followed.

He had never been one to have a lot of friends. Correction, he wasn't one who ever had a friend before this. Back in New York, kids seemed to know it was best to keep their distance. Hiccup had a "Kick Me" sign on his back for every bully in the school and no one wanted to be associated with him for fear of getting similar treatment.

Fishlegs and Hiccup slowly made their way over to two teens. One had dark hair and a face that looked like someone stepped on it and squashed it at some point. One thing for sure, though; he was buff. Hiccup was pretty sure that guy could snap him like a twig without breaking a sweat.

The other was taller and wiry with long blond hair and an equally long face. The look on his face told Hiccup that he was a mischief maker and a good one at that.

"Hey guys! I wanted to introduce you to my new friend. He's staying over at my place for a bit and I thought it would be great for him to see us play." Fishlegs eagerly pushed Hiccup forward towards the two. "Hiccup, this is Snoutlout and Tuffnut. Guys, this is Hiccup."

_Well, I guess odd names run with this crowd_.

"What kind of a name is Hiccup?" replied the dark haired boy.

"Its a nickname Steve, just like Snoutlout is your nickname." replied Fishlegs with a tired tone as though this type of conversation was a frequent one. Fishlegs then turned to Hiccup. "Like I said earlier, we came up with nicknames for on the field. Steve here is Snoutlout and Randy," pointing to the boy with blond hair, "is Tuffnut."

"Why Tuffnut? It doesn't start with a R?" asked Hiccup.

"My sister claimed it before me for her stupid roller derby team." Ruffnut replied.

"The Berk Bezerker Rugby Team is way cooler, but when I tried to force my hand she pinned me until I cried uncle. Which is weird because we don't even have an uncle."

_Okay, Mrs. Ingerman was right, this one isn't exactly a Mensa candidate, _Hiccup thought back as he remembered her words.

"Yeah, you do have an aunt though. So next time make Teresa call her and tell her that she's the loser!" Snoutlout chimed in.

_Wow, they must take a lot of hits to the head in this game. How the heck did Fishlegs manage to keep most of his brain cells intact?_ Hiccup mused.

"So what'd you do to your leg?" asked Ruffnut.

"I stepped out in front of a car." was his deadpan reply.

"Dude, you know you are supposed to look both ways before crossing the street...Right?" asked Snoutlout.

"He did it to sav-" Fishlegs was interrupted as Hiccup gave him a quick jab in the ribs.

"I was trying to preserve my street cred and show I wasn't afraid to walk across the interstate blindfolded." Hiccup asserted. These guys would probably believe anything.

"Man, I should try that! Or better yet, make Teresa do it. If she busted her leg, I could take my nickname back!" Tuffnut replied excitedly. Yep, they were dumber than rocks. But he rather they believe the line of bull he fed them than have them know too much about him.

"Hey you knuckleheads! What do you think this is, huh? Social hour? Get on the field and start practicing!" Coach Gobber yelled from across the field.

Fishlegs turned to Hiccup, "Well, you can hang out on the bleachers here and watch. Afterwards, I can try to explain the game to you some more." With that, he turned and hustled out on to the field. _Great,_ Hiccup sighs. _I can't wait to learn more about the intricacies of rugby._

And with that, he found a spot on the bleachers and propped his leg up.

_This is going to be a long practice._


	11. Chapter 11

_**I know its been a while since I posted last. Life as usual has gotten in the way of writing. Thankfully working 6-7 days a week is over for the moment. I hope you enjoy this chapter.**_

After an hour and half of watching Fishlegs and the rest of the team practice, Hiccup was pretty sure that the person that invented rugby was an idiot. It started with everyone being in a group huddle and a lot of grunting. Hiccup was not that fond of close contact with people and this game had no concept of "personal space."

As he sat, he let his mind drift to these last few weeks.

The Ingermans were nice enough and both the parents knew how to give Hiccup his space. Fishlegs, on the other hand, still needed a bit of work on that part, but was genuinely kind and interested in Hiccup as a person. The engineering book was a special touch and Hiccup was really interested in reading it. If his life was a different, this could be home. But his life was not cookie cutter and it was definitely _not_ safe.

Staying in one place for too long would just spell trouble for him. While Stoick may be held at bay for the moment, there would come a point where he would track Hiccup down to make him pay for this current situation. The doctor made the report to Social Services, who in turn, filed with the courts.

Now there was an investigation under way and at some point there would be a trial.

If things were as cut and dry as Hiccup had been told, Stoick would be facing serious jail time and Hiccup knew that Stoick would stop at nothing to hunt him down and kill him. Stoick had said before that he would put an end to Hiccup's miserable life after he felt that he had suffered enough.

This new situation would definitely accelerate that promise.

"Hey! Are you Fishbags' friend?" A brash voice stirred Hiccup from his thoughts. He looked up to see two girls standing in front of him. Both were blonde, but that is where the similarities ended.

One of the girls had long hair in two braids and a face that Hiccup was sure at least her mother loved. She had on torn jeans and a t-shirt with some band on it.

The other girl took Hiccup's breath away.

Her eyes were as blue as the sky and her body was, well, quite fit. Dark, skinny jeans and a black t-shirt with a skull on it completed a look that said she didn't take crap from anyone.

"Hey! ARE. YOU. DEAF?!" The braided girl yelled at him. It did succeed in shaking Hiccup out of his thoughts.

He stammered, "Huh? What? Uh, no. No I can hear."

"Jeez, are you sure?" She replied back.

_Ah, I think I know who she is related to,_ thought Hiccup.

"Yeah, I'm sure." Hiccup responded. "Are you Randy's sister?"

"Yep, that's me! Name's Teresa." She smiled to show a set of teeth that would make an orthodontist weep for joy.

"How'd you know?"

"Family resemblance." Hiccup answered.

"Yeah, I guess being twins and all, we do kinda look alike." She turned out towards the field and yelled, "Break a leg Tuffnut! Better yet, break 'em both!"

"Randy told me that you took his nickname?" Hiccup tried to make small talk. He wanted to ask the pretty girl her name, but those words refused to come out of his mouth. It was as if they knew he would screw it up and were trying to save him the embarrassment.

"Yeah." Teresa grinned again. "Ruffnut. It's pretty awesome. You know I pinned him until he cried uncle." She leaned towards him as if to impart a secret. "Best part is, we don't even have an uncle."

_Oh yeah, they are definitely related._

Hiccup tried to smile and nod. "Yeah, I am the stronger of the two of us. That's why I am on a roller derby team, which is way harder than this stupid game. You won't see the Hairy Hooligans doing any group hugs." Ruffnut lightly punched her companion. "The only thing these two sports have in common is nicknames and scars."

"A sport is only worth it if you get a scar." The pretty girl spoke, her voice confident and beautiful.

Hiccup couldn't imagine a girl more perfect.

"The Hairy Hooligans?" Hiccup asked looking at the girl, willing her to speak.

Alas, Ruffnut wasn't quite done yet. "Heck yeah! It's because we don't shave our pits."

"Gross! Only you adhere to that rule, Ruff. The rest of us like to remember we're women." The girl punched Ruffnut in the arm with force.

"This is Astrid." Ruffnut gestured over to the girl.

"That's a good nickname. I bet it really scares folks." Hiccup replied hoping to make a good impression.

He couldn't have been more wrong.

Astrid's brow furrowed and she replied coldly, "My _name_ is Astrid. My nickname is _The Deadly Nadder_."

Hiccup went pale. What had he done! He just totally insulted the most beautiful girl in the world.

"Oh, jeez", Hiccup ran his fingers throw his hair nervously. "Sorry."

"Whoa! You must have a death wish buddy!" Laughed Ruffnut. "What's your name anyway?"

"People call me Hiccup." He said and braced for the next question.

To his surprise, it was Astrid that spoke next. "Hmph, makes sense. You are annoying just like a hiccup. Probably just as useful too." It cut Hiccup to the core. She saw him just as Stoick did; Worthless.

"Yeah, you got it." Hiccup said softly and tried to shift his leg to turn towards the field in an effort to end the conversation before things got any worse.

Ruffnut appeared oblivious to the situation.

"I like it. What'd you do to your leg?"

Trying to keep answers short as possible. Hiccup replied curtly, "Got hit by a car."

"You're crazy." Ruffnut said and then looked at him coyly. "I like crazy."

Then much to his relief, Hiccup saw Mrs. Ingerman pull into the parking lot. "Looks like my ride is here! Nice meeting you all." He grabbed his crutches and hobbled out as quickly as he could manage.

Ruffnut waved flirtatiously while Astrid just glared at him.

He could feel her stare burn into the back of his head. _Worthless. She saw right through me to my soul. Everything Stoick ever said about me, she saw it in an instant._


	12. Chapter 12

**Check it out, an update! Hope you like it!**

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Hiccup moved towards the Ingermans' car as quickly as possible. He couldn't believe he had been so stupid in front of Astrid. Not only had he insulted her, but she was able to see everything Stoick had seen in him all these years. That he was a waste of time, a nuisance.

_This birthday has turned out like all the rest,_ Hiccup thought, _just another day to wish I hadn't been born._

As he approached the car, he did his best to bury the hurt.

The last thing he wanted was to have a heart to heart with Fishlegs' mom.

Hiccup didn't open up to people, it only led to pain and disappointment. Mrs. Ingerman greeted Hiccup as he got into the car.

"Hi dear. How did the practice go?" Hiccup shrugged. "It was fine I guess. There was a ball and everyone seemed to want it."

"I don't understand the game either. Fishy is always trying to explain the nuances of the sport, but I just don't get it. His father's grasp on the game isn't much better. Want to know our secret?" Hiccup nodded. "We cheer when the other parents do." Mrs. Ingerman winked at him.

Hiccup chuckled lightly. "That works as long as their kids are on the same team."

"Touche."

Hiccup looked out at the field and saw Fishlegs chatting it up with his friends. Watching the other teens reminded him of how isolated his world truly was. The only time he was seen with a group of kids was in juvie and those kids weren't trying to make friends.

It appeared that the girls were telling the boys all about him sticking his foot in his mouth. Astrid pointed and glared at the car and everyone laughed. Well, Fishlegs didn't laugh, but he did look disappointed. Hiccup recalled that Fishlegs was hoping to make a move on Randy's sister and part of his plan was that introducing a new member to the group would entice her to invite everyone to a roller derby match.

That obviously wasn't happening now.

A few minutes later, Fishlegs got in the car looking quite subdued. "How was practice Fishy?"

"Fine. Coach Gobber thinks we're ready for the game next week."

"That's good. Did you introduce Hiccup to your friends?"

Hiccup inwardly groaned. "Yeah. The guys think he's pretty cool because of how he got hurt." Fishlegs paused a moment and Hiccup was not prepared for what he said next. "Teresa thinks you're cute and invited us to their roller derby match on Friday."

Hiccup paled a bit.

Teresa liked him!? No wonder Fishlegs looked sad, his whole plan backfired.

"Oh that will be fun!" Mrs. Ingerman glanced over at Hiccup, "Have you seen a roller derby match before?"

"No."

"Well they're a lot of fun. That is a sport I understand."

"I don't really feel like going, I'm not interested in dating anyone and I don't want to give that girl the wrong impression." Fishlegs looked at Hiccup incredulously.

"How can you not like her? What's not to like? She is practically perfect in every way."

"Fishie, I'm sure Hiccup doesn't think there's anything wrong with her. If he doesn't want to go, that is perfectly alright."

"But mom, if he doesn't go, I can't go." Fishlegs was suddenly quite animated.

"Teresa is only letting me come because of him and if he doesn't want to go out with her, he can tell her at the game and then I could be there to comfort her."

_Aha_! There was Fishleg's ulterior motive. The old rebound play.

"Francis!" Both boys' heads snapped to attention as Mrs. Ingerman's admonished her son. "Hiccup is not a pawn in this game you're playing. If you like the girl, tell her, don't use him to try and manipulate her."

"Mom!"

"I mean it!" Fishlegs slumped in the backseat.

_Well_, Hiccup pondered, _there goes making friends with anyone. I bet they get rid of me by the end of the week now._

Both the boys were silent for the rest of the ride home.

* * *

Once they returned to the house, Hiccup made up an excuse to take a walk around the property before going in. Even though walking was not exactly an easy thing to do on crutches, it beat having to be in the same room with Fishlegs. Even though he didn't outwardly express it, Fishlegs was upset and Hiccup was certain that he was preparing a 20 page dissertation on why Hiccup should go to the roller derby. He really didn't want to hear it, so a trip out by the kennels was the answer.

Hiccup slowly made his way to Toothless' kennel. The dog's head perked up and greeted his friend with a light bark.

The Cane Corso got up and made his way towards the fence.

"Hey bud. How's it going, huh?" Hiccup turned around and slowly lowered himself to the ground.

With a deep sigh, he leaned his head back. "My night was eventful to say the least." Toothless sniffed and licked the back of Hiccup's head. "Bud, I met a girl tonight." Toothless made a small whine. "Don't worry, I immediately insulted her and now she loathes me with every fiber of her being."

The dog made low gruff.

"Yeah and then she said I was useless. It was like…" Hiccup's voice cracked a bit. "It was like my dad always said to me. I'm a hiccup, a useless piece of garbage and it was evident to everyone around me. Even though it hurt, I hoped he was wrong until today. Now I'm not so sure."

Toothless whined a bit and played down against the fence. He pressed his head against the metal and licked Hiccup's hand.

"Thanks bud. I wish when I get out of here that I could take you with me. We would make a pretty good team. Two beaten up cripples." Hiccup chuckled darkly. "You know the doc said there's a possibility my leg won't heal fully. A hiccup with a limp. That's adding insult to injury you know? Actually, in my case, it would be injury to insult."

Hiccup closed his eyes.

He was dreading going into the house. Why did life had to suck so much? Would he ever catch a break?


	13. Chapter 13

_**It's an update! Thanks so much to my beta, xFaerieValkyriex for always doing an amazing job. I hope you all enjoy.**_

The days passed slowly following Hiccup's blunder with Astrid.

To his credit, Fishlegs did not ask Hiccup to change his mind about going to the roller derby match, but with it just a day away, his demeanor became nearly as sullen as Hiccup's own.

"You boys need to perk up!" Mrs. Ingerman scolded lightly one afternoon, "It's a beautiful day and the dogs need to be walked. Hiccup, I've noticed the Cane Corso has taken a liking to you. Would you mind helping Fishy with his training?"

Hiccup looked up, surprised. He hadn't realized that anyone had noticed his visitations to Toothless' dog run.

"Uh, sure. I don't think I can walk him while I'm on crutches, though."

"Oh, don't worry about that sweetie! Fishy can handle that part, but the dog is much more relaxed if you're near and that will definitely help his rehab." With that, Mrs. Ingerman turned and went about her business.

Hiccup glanced over at Fishlegs, who looked like someone had stomped on his heart.

"Do you want to work with Toothless now?"

"Toothless?"

_Crap. I shouldn't have shared that. _"Yeah, you know because the dog doesn't have any teeth." Hiccup tried to casually pass off the fact that he had just gone and named this families newest dog.

"I like it." Fishlegs broke into his first smile that week. "We've been trying to come up with a name for that guy and nothing seemed to fit."

"Well, when in doubt go for the obvious I guess." Hiccup tried to deflect the praise.

The two boys made their way out to the pen and Toothless immediately started to track them with his eyes. Upon seeing Fishlegs begin to open the gate, he let out a low growl, but stopped when Hiccup came in first. Neither had been on the same side of the run before, but any trepidation by beast or boy was quickly forgotten. Toothless gave a small bark and his tail began to wag.

"Hey bud. How are you doing today?" Hiccup gently reached out and began to stroke Toothless' head. "Are you ready to work on some stuff?"

Fishlegs made his way over slowly. "Hi there Toothless. Love the name big guy, it really suits you. I need to put a lead on you so we can get you a bit of exercise." As he spoke, Fishlegs expertly placed the leash on the dog. "Okay Hiccup, we are going to work on just having him walk around the property a bit. Since he has just three legs now, it's a lot harder for him, but he needs to build up his strength."

Hiccup nodded. "He isn't as skinny anymore."

It was true, you couldn't see the dog's ribs anymore. Funny how quickly a few steady meals could turn things around. The same could be said for Hiccup. While still tiny for his age and thin, he didn't look like he should be one of those starving kids from the commercial.

"No, he's doing great putting on weight and with a healthy diet, Toothless should have way more energy." Fishlegs lightly patted the dog on the back. "He should be around 100 to 110 pounds, so he has a bit more to go before he is recovered. Meatlug was in pretty bad shape when she got here, but you wouldn't know it now. She is such a sweetheart too."

"What will happen to Toothless once he's recovered?"

"Well, if things go to plan, we will post on our website that he is available for adoption and begin taking applications. We interview every potential family because we want to ensure that every animal adopted goes to a home that loves them and can care for them."

"What if things don't go to plan?"

Hiccup wasn't sure if he wanted to hear the answer. If Toothless couldn't get with the plan, would he be put down? Hiccup was for _euthanize the dog_ when he first heard about his injuries, but now that he knew the animal, it was different story. That dog knew what it meant to suffer, to be unloved and to struggle to survive. They had so much in common and he knew that Toothless felt the same connection.

"Toothless has had a lot of neglect and not much socialization with humans or other animals. If he can't behave responsibly around others, he will just stay here and live with us." Fishlegs gave Hiccup a reassuring smile. "We never give up on an animal."

_That_ was a new concept for Hiccup.

Everyone gave up on him after awhile and even though the Ingermans were the nicest people he had ever met, Hiccup had no doubt that it was just a matter of time before they gave up on him too. Animals were one thing, but broken teenage boys were an entirely different matter. The two boys and Toothless traversed slowly around the grounds. Toothless was a lot stiffer and suspicious outside his run and Fishlegs had to keep a strong hold on the lead. Thankfully the dog was still getting the hang of three legs and his pace was about equal to Hiccup's. After 30 minutes, they made their way back to the run and Toothless plopped to the ground exhausted.

"You did a great job today Toothless!" Fishlegs encouraged as he removed the lead. "Before you know it, you're going to be running around and having a great time."

"See ya later bud." Hiccup gave Toothless a quick pat and the dog turned to lick his hand. Hiccup smiled, "Thanks Toothless."

In that moment, Hiccup suddenly felt a bit charitable. "Hey Fishlegs, I've been mulling it over and if you still want to go to the roller derby match tomorrow, I'll go."

Fishlegs whipped his head around so fast Hiccup thought it might come off.

"Seriously! Oh man that is awesome! I have so wanted to go and watch Teresa skate."

"Yeah about her, you know I don't want to date her right?"

"Yes and while that eases my mind greatly, I can't believe you don't see what a beautiful angel she is."

Fishlegs closed his eyes as images of Ruffnut danced in his head. Hiccup however did not have such images.

"I'm sure she is, but we need to make it very clear that I have no romantic feelings toward her whatsoever."

"Of course. Oh boy this is so exciting!" Fishlegs began to make his way back to the house with an extra bounce in his step. "I am going to call Snot and Tuff to let them know!"

Hiccup watched Fishlegs go off.

Yes, it was good to do something nice for someone else and not have that result in getting hit by a car. Then again, he was going to have to face Astrid again tomorrow and that might just be worse.


	14. Chapter 14

I know, it has been an eternity since I updated last! Let's just leave it with job promotions are awesome, but sometimes lead to 50-60 hour work weeks. Anyway, here is the next chapter, I hope you all enjoy it.

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"Alright, your dad and I are going to find seats for ourselves. You two have fun and we'll meet up after the game." Mrs. Ingerman gave Fishlegs a quick kiss on the forehead and turned walked off into the crowd.

"Okay, the guys said they were holding us seats near the front." Fishlegs was practically shaking with excitement. "Teresa is a blocker and it is so much fun to watch her take out the competition."

"I wouldn't think you would be interested in the violent type there Fish."

"Well, no one looks as pretty as Teresa does when she pushes another girl into the bleachers." Fishlegs eyes got that starry-eyed faraway look as if he was imagining her pummeling someone right now.

"Yo! Fish-face over here!" Both Fishlegs and Hiccup looked down to the front row to see Randy and Steve waving them over. "Dude, wait until the match starts, I made sure to give Ruffnut a noogie before we left the house. That always gets her in the right mindset for a match." Randy informed the others smugly. Somehow, Hiccup thought, Teresa probably enjoyed receiving the noogie as much as Randy enjoyed giving it.

"Awesome seats guys!" Fishlegs looked like he was about to burst with happiness.

"Um, guys, what are the chances of someone crashing into us from here?" Hiccup asked while looking at the nonexistent distance between their chairs and the rink.

"Why? You afraid of a little contact?" teased Steve.

"If it means it screws my leg up worse than it is, yeah I am." Hiccup was a bit annoyed, but then he remembered that this guy probably lacked the brain cells to even consider potential consequences.

"Hey, what's life without a little risk, huh?" Randy jested punching Hiccup in the shoulder. Hiccup's eyes narrowed and it looked like he was about to tell Randy just where he could go when Fishlegs, ever the peacekeeper, interjected, "Why don't we move a couple rows back just in case? Plus then you guys can laugh at the folks that get taken out in the front row."

"Fine, we'll move to protect his wittle weg." Hiccup rolled his eyes, but managed to hold his tongue as at least things were in his favor for the moment. How Fishlegs dealt with these imbeciles on a regular basis he didn't know. Fish was smart and thoughtful, nothing like these two.

The boys settled on to the bleachers and continued with small talk. "Did you get your class schedule yet Snoutlout?" Fishlegs looked over to Steve expectantly.

"Yeah, I have to take Math for Morons again! At least Tuff is going to take it with me this year." Steve elbowed Randy in the ribs playfully.

Math for Morons? They couldn't really have a class called that, could they? As if reading his mind, Fishlegs leaned over and whispered, "It's actually Math Foundations, but no one at school calls it that." Hiccup nodded and decided it was best to keep his mouth shut. He wasn't exactly making great strides with these guys and while he wasn't looking for lifelong friendship, he wasn't looking for trouble either.

"What about you Fish? More genius classes? Last year you had so much homework we thought you were going to miss out on rugby season."

"Eh, I have a few AP classes lined up, after last year, I know how to pace my schedule. Have no fear guys, I am not going to miss one game this time!" Fishlegs high-fived the boys and they started doing some sort of team chant.

School, thought Hiccup. He didn't even want to have to deal with that. When he did attend, he found it to be pretty boring and it took almost no effort on his part to pass any of the tests. School was just a microcosm of neighborhood he grew up in. People trying to hurt him, others pretending not to see and Hiccup just trying to survive and break free. No, school wasn't worth his time. His life wasn't destined for college and jobs that required a tie, he wasn't sure where life was taking him, but it definitely wasn't down that route.

"Good evening ladies and gentleman!" The announcer's voice drew Hiccup back to the present. It looked like it was time for the game to finally begin. The visiting team was introduced and then the crowd began to beat against the bleachers as the announcer introduced the Hairy Hooligans. The boys shot out of their seats and whooped and hollered. Hiccup saw Astrid come out and felt his heart skip a beat. Despite the fact he knew that he had no chance with her, he was still struck by her.

"Alright Hiccup, let me break this down for you." Fishlegs leaned over and started pointing out positions. "Like I said earlier, Teresa is a blocker and her job is to ensure Astrid the Hooligans' jammer gets through the pack while preventing the other team's jammer from doing the same. As the jammer, Astrid is trying to lap the other team's players and every time she does, they score."

Hiccup just nodded and watched the game begin. Whoever came up with the saying about girls being made of sugar and spice, never saw a roller derby match. These girls were ruthless. Fishlegs practically swooned when Teresa blocked and effectively knocked a girl over causing another two of the opposing team to fall down. "That's my angel" he whispered to Hiccup. Angel? Not the term he would pick.

The game continued for next hour. Hiccup watched as everyone gave and took hits, including Astrid. At one point she was knocked down, but came back soon enough to take out the girl that hit her with such force she was sent to the penalty box. This girl did not play around! By the end the Hooligans won by a hair and the crowd went wild. "This is best match ever! Usually the other teams aren't as tough as this one so the girls really got a chance to show their skills." Fishlegs leaned over and added, "I'm glad they won, Teresa is not a good loser."

Hiccup didn't doubt that as she didn't look to be a good winner as she yelled at the other team and tried to pick a fight with another blocker. Eventually, the girls made their way over to the sidelines and started taking off their gear. The boys made their way down with Hiccup far in the rear as he traversed the bleachers with his crutches.

"Sup, Tuff? You, Snout and the Fish enjoy the show?" Teresa didn't even bother to give any of them a second look as she wiped her face with a towel.

"For a girl's sport…" Randy started to reply, but was cut off as a water bottle was hurled in his direction. Teresa glanced up and saw Hiccup approaching and her whole demeanor changed. "Hey there! I heard you were coming. What'd you think huh? Like the way real girls play sports?"

Hiccup swallowed nervously, "Sure it was good." Teresa's expression soured. "Good? What do you mean good? It was freaking awesome! You know that team was undefeated right? We broke their winning streak like I broke that girl's finger."

"Relax Tuffnut, Useless there probably never saw a match before. Besides, he wouldn't know a good game if it hit him in the face." Hiccup looked over as Astrid spoke, she never even looked in his direction. Geez, what a mistake this was. The only good thing was that Teresa was definitely over him.

"Hey guys, let's go grab some pizza before the shut the concession stand down." Fishlegs mustered his resolve and turned to Teresa, "Can I get you something?"

"Yeah a slice of pepperoni and sausage and a Pepsi." Fishlegs practically beamed and bounded towards the concession area. Hiccup felt a mixture of emotions. Happiness for Fishlegs getting his opportunity with Teresa, but angry for him leaving him with these people, two of which were aiming quite a bit of hostility towards him. Steve, Randy and Teresa moved to follow Fishlegs without a word to Hiccup. Astrid moved to follow, grabbing her bag and in the processing of passing Hiccup, accidentally hit his leg with the bag. His bad leg. Hiccup's face paled and it took all his effort not to fall down. A groan escaped his lips and tear pricked his eyes.

Astrid turned at the sound and realized what had happened. For the first time since they met, her face showed something other than disinterest in hostility. "Sorry! I didn't mean to do that!"

Hiccup nodded or at least he tried to nod. His whole focus was on breathing through the pain. Astrid took his non-response as a rejection of her apology and her sympathy shifted quickly to annoyance. "I said I was sorry Useless, least you could do was acknowledge my apology." With that she turned in a huff and joined the others.

I can't win for losing here, Hiccup thought. Please, please let this evening end soon.


End file.
